Manual C8 Corvette Conversion Revealed With Up to A$101,100 Price Estimate
US tuner Peitz Performance Tunes has built a six-speed manual C8 Corvette, with a conversion estimate of US$60,000-$70,000 excluding the car.
American tuner Peitz Performance Tunes has built a six-speed manual Chevrolet Corvette C8, with an initial conversion estimate of US$60,000 to US$70,000, or approximately A$86,700 to A$101,100, excluding the car.
Image: Peitz Performance Tunes on YouTube
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Developed with transmission manufacturer Tremec and shown at the 2026 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the project is an aftermarket conversion rather than a Chevrolet offering.
Peitz Performance Tunes believes it has built the first manual-transmission C8 Corvette. Chevrolet has never offered the mid-engined model with a manual gearbox and has no plans to do so, with every factory C8 using an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The conversion replaces that automatic with Tremec’s TR-9060 six-speed manual transaxle, which was developed around the C8’s architecture to fit the car.
Supporting hardware includes a custom McLeod clutch and flywheel, a custom clutch pedal, a shifter and shift cables. A new centre console removes the factory push-button transmission controls while retaining the button row and drive-mode selector.
Peitz’s MoTeC plug-and-play engine management system allows the Corvette to operate without its factory engine and transmission control units. Company founder Alex Peitz says he spent more than four years developing the system.
“It’s just a lot of fun,” Peitz said of the driving experience.
The conversion is intended for the Stingray only, rather than the Z06, ZR1 or hybrid E-Ray.
In Australia, the C8 Corvette is sold through GMSV in factory right-hand drive, exclusively with a dual-clutch automatic. Peitz has not said whether the conversion will suit right-hand-drive cars or be offered outside the United States.
The MY26 Australian Corvette range starts at $193,990 before on-road costs for the Stingray 2LT coupe. GM Australia and New Zealand announced the following Stingray prices in October 2025.
| Model | Price before on-road costs | Factory transmission |
|---|---|---|
| Stingray 2LT coupe | $193,990 | Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic |
| Stingray 3LT coupe | $222,990 | Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic |
| Stingray 3LT convertible | $232,990 | Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic |
Peitz plans to carry out the initial installations himself before offering a complete conversion kit to other workshops. Tremec is targeting July or August 2027 for transmission availability, while the conversion price remains an initial estimate.
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Get my offersFrequently Asked Questions
No. Every factory C8 Corvette uses an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. The six-speed manual conversion is an aftermarket project from Peitz Performance Tunes, developed with Tremec.
The initial estimate is US$60,000 to US$70,000, approximately A$86,700 to A$101,100, on top of the cost of the donor car.
Right-hand-drive compatibility and availability outside the United States have not been addressed by Peitz. The conversion is intended for the Stingray, not the Z06, ZR1 or E-Ray.
